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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A trip to the zoo usually brings to mind elephants, giraffes, even tigers. But one animal that usually gets a bad rap, the vulture, is getting some international recognition.

Zoo officials said there are 23 species of vultures in the world, and 11 of those are threatened in some way. But experts said few people are concerned about vultures because they are not as cuddly as other zoo animals.

In an effort to change that, vultures are being celebrated during International Vulture Awareness Day this Saturday. Advocates for vultures said they play an important role in our ecosystem, and they are hoping to use International Vulture Awareness Day to change the public's perception.

Most people don't go to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to visit the vultures, and they can very easily be overlooked. Hiding in the shadows at the giraffe exhibit are three very rare Cape Griffon Vultures.

"There’s only 27 Cape Griffon Vultures in North America, North America zoos, and there's 2,900 pairs in the wild left,” Jenyva Turner, animal keeper at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, said. “They were injured in collisions with power lines and broke their wings."

While vultures are not cute by any means, Turner said they play an important role in our ecosystem.

"They have incredibly strong stomach juices that dissolve, kill bacteria in the food that they eat. Also the same stomach juices can also kill diseases,” Turner said.

But unfortunately often times their good deeds go unnoticed.

"Vultures are misunderstood," Turner said.

Turner said vultures across the world are disappearing. Some are poisoned, used for medicine, or collide with power lines.

This Saturday though these unloved birds will be celebrated.

“For one whole day vultures get to be celebrated around the world,” Turner said.

Turner hopes by placing the spotlight on vultures people will change their minds about them.

"They get to see our vultures up close, and they get to see how cool they are, how important they are. They get to learn about them and appreciate them a little bit more and see them as something different then the dirty diseased ridden ugly birds that are so often depicted," Turner said.

Turner said people from all over the world will take time out Saturday to recognize the unique beauty of the vulture.

“It’s so exciting to see how many people actually really love vultures, who knew?” Turner asked.

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is hosting its own celebration for International Vulture Awareness Day this Saturday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

To learn more about this event visit www.cmzoo.org.